When did you realize you wanted to make music your career? At the age of 5.
What do you fear the most? Alzheimer’s disease.
Which mobile number do you call the most? My wife’s.

When you’re not busy practicing/performing, what do you like to do in your spare time? Make palindromes.
Who’s your musical hero? Mozart.
Do you have any pre-concert rituals? I take a shower.
If you could choose to work in a different profession, what would it be and why? A political commentator. Why? I think many politicians are dangerously dumb, they act, as if they have never conducted a symphony orchestra in their entire lives.
What are you reading at the moment? Amos Oz: A Tale of Love and Darkness.
Who is your favourite hero from fiction(book/comic/film/opera)and why? Papageno.
Who’s your favourite musician/band at the moment? (doesn’t have to be classical!) Carlos Kleiber.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you? That family is the most important thing in life.
What is the most played piece of music on your MP3 player or in your CD collection? St Matthew’s Passion. I have different recordings of it.
What’s the best thing about performing with the OAE? I get again and again new insights into pieces, I have been conducting for years.